we now have the nsa, which i understand does something like $3 billion of worldwi--wide eavesdropping. so what we have that's comparable is a f--a flood tide of intelligence which seems to overwhelm the circuitry. what we seem to be lacking is--then and now is careful analy--an--analysis to say, 'well, we've got this tide of intelligence. what direction is it falling in? what do these jigsaw pieces tell us if we can put them together?' that was a failing prior to pearl harbor and obviously a failing now. c-span: vincent astor. what did he do for fdr? >> guest: well, i mentioned a moment ago that the united states didn't go into the intelligence business in a serious way until 1941. we were probably the only world power that didn't have a professional intelligence service. roosevelt relied very heavily prior to, let's say, 1940 on a circle of socialite friends as his sources. there were a group of them who styled themselves the club, and they had taken a shabby apartment on new york's upper east side. they had an unlisted phone number. they had a secret mail drop. it--it--it sounded li